One year ago, the Ohio State passing game — and its wide receivers specifically — got the brunt of Urban Meyer’s offensive criticism.

He called them a “clown show,” nonfunctional and inadequate. He criticized them in front of the team in practice. He criticized them to reporters. Receivers were essentially the “Sweat Hogs” of the offensive team meetings.

They are going from the class clowns of the offense to maybe the class acts.

It is the second year of Meyer’s spread offense. Receivers such as Massillon’s Devin Smith, Philly Brown and Evan Spencer know the offense, they know their positions better and they know the expectations are higher now than even before.

And get this: Meyer is even complimenting the group in practice.

“He’s given us more compliments than last year, for sure,” senior receiver Chris Fields said. “Yeah, he’s pleased.”

Brown led the team with 60 catches for 669 yards and three touchdowns.

Smith’s big-play ability led to 30 grabs for618 yards and six touchdowns.

Three of Smith’s TDs were 60 yards or more last season. He averaged 39.3 yards per touchdown catch.

“With the scrimmage we just had, guys made plays,” Smith said of Saturday’s scrimmage, which was closed to the media. “Urban is somewhat happy just to see our guys can make plays.”

It seems, and sounds, like Meyer is expecting the group to make big strides this year. Miller’s passing has been criticized in the past, but his teammates and coaches have said he is a better thrower than a year ago. During the only full open practice to the media, Miller seemed much more accurate and confident in the pocket than last year.

“Definitely, it’s comfortability,” Spencer said. “It’s the difference between knowing where a receiver is going to be, or hoping he’s going to be there. Once you get a year under your belt, the second year will be a lot more comfortable and the routes and reads will be quicker.”

Receivers coach Zach Smith, who almost seemed embarrassed by his group at times last season, knows his group is being counted upon for more production. If Ohio State, ranked second in the country in the preseason coaches’ poll, is going to make a run at a national title, Miller and the receivers have to be stars and put up big numbers.

Those are the kinds of expectations Meyer’s hiring brought to Ohio State fans.

“A year ago, I told everyone, it was a young group that needed to grow up,” Zach Smith said. “That’s something they’ve done. They had trials and tribulations and hard times, and some great successes. … I’m pleased with the growth in the past year.

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“It’s not something that could have happened overnight. Where we’re at now, we’ve taken a step. We’re no longer dysfunctional. Now, let’s really go be the best receiver unit in the country. That’s the next step we have to take. We need consistent domination as a group. When we take that step, I’ll be really pleased.”

No one’s position is safe. Freshman Dontre Wilson has lit it up in fall camp. Another freshman, Jalin Marshall has converted from high school quarterback to a 6-foot, 190-pound playmaker in practice.

Devin Smith, right now, is the starter at the X receiver position, which is the spot away from the two-receiver, slot side. By putting Smith there, the coaches are telling him they believe he has the best skills set to beat one-on-one coverage and be a home run hitter.

“There’s not a time when I’m harder on Devin than he is on himself,” Zach Smith said. “He’s never not been pushed. He knows he could lose his spot in a second. Philly Brown knows that. Everyone knows that. They all know they better go produce. Devin knows that. Any failure he has, whether it’s one play, one rep, one practice or one game, he knows the next guy is creeping up on him.”

It was not lost on Devin Smith when Meyer singled him out the other day in practice. The head coach praised Smith for having another good practice and challenged him to follow up the next day’s practice with a better one.

“I’ve worked my tail off all summer,” Devin Smith said. “It’s paying off now. I can see it. I’ve gotten faster. I’m stronger. I know this offense is better. I can read defenses better. I have goals I want to achieve and I’m working everyday to achieve those.”

Miller is a preseason Heisman Trophy candidate. He has to be a two-dimensional quarterback to get that done. It can be a tough season to be a receiver at Ohio State. If Miller is a more effective passer, he will get most of the credit for an improved passing game. If the passing game chugs along, the receivers will get the blame during a Heisman campaign.

Making the role of an OSU receiver tougher, is Miller’s athleticism. When he scrambles, the receivers have scramble rules to follow to try to get open.

That’s the extent of their freedom running routes.

“If we have a specific route to run, we have to run it,” Spencer said. “We have the freedom to get open.”

Spencer laughed.

The receivers are no longer the class clowns, but it can be a short trip to the coach’s doghouse.